Parade of strong mattress ads a plus for industry

The bedding industry got a three-pronged boost at the end of August with a series of mattress ads in Parade magazine, the hugely popular weekend newspaper publication.

We can’t recall seeing three mattress ads in a single issue of Parade, but that was the potent offering that joined the ad mix in the Aug. 27 issue — just in time to prime the pump for the critical Labor Day sales that are now in their homestretch.

Those ads — run by Sealy, Select Comfort and Sears — should help create more bedding awareness on the part of consumers. Anything that we do as an industry to help bedding stand out in consumers’ minds is a good thing. Today’s consumers have plenty of things to spend their money on. Unfortunately, a new mattress is often low on their list of priorities.

All three ads sought to create a sense of buying urgency, but employed different means to do so. The ad touting Sealy’s 125th anniversary models said those beds were “big on comfort” and “big on value,” but noted that consumers are “short on time.” The ad went on to say: “If you need motivation to finally buy that new bed, this is it.” The models are only available, the ad said, “while supplies last.”

Select Comfort took a more specific approach, touting a Labor Day Sale running for 10 days only, Aug. 26 to Sept. 4. Two coupons were included, one for up to $300 off and one for no payments and no interest until January 2008, with both offers applying to certain Sleep Number beds. Select Comfort also touted the adjustable comfort offered by its Sleep Number beds, a key selling point for the nation’s largest bedding retailer.

Finally, Sears invited consumers to “sleep better tonight” and featured four beds, a Sealy at $383.99 in queen, a Serta Perfect Sleeper at $559.90, a Sealy Posturepedic at $767.99, and a Sears-O-Pedic at $959.99. The ad touted savings of 60% as well as 0% financing for two years, free delivery after mail-in rebate, and a free bed frame, with various qualifiers.

I reviewed those ads with a retail advertising expert to get his take on them. He found the Sealy ad clean but thought it would have benefited from a stronger call to action. The Select Comfort ad got high marks for its well-defined start and end dates, but is a bit too busy. And the Sears ad, while full of good consumer hooks, looked more like a newspaper ad than a national magazine ad, the  expert said.

His critiques, of course, represent only his opinions. There are various schools of thought, of course, on what makes for a strong ad. The results are probably the best way to judge an ad’s effectiveness, and those aren’t in just yet.

Overall, our expert thought the ads were a plus for the industry. I do too. Good luck to all of you retailers on those important Labor Day sales. We need a boost as we head into fall.